South Korea - Precautions

Don't forget to go to a Korean sauna (pronounced jinjilbang in Korean). It can really help you to release the stress, get some good sleep, and in some of them, they have jingseng waters which are good for your health. Usually, jinjilbangs are in suburbia Seoul. And if you find a Doctor Fish, do not forget to try it out!!!

Haeundae is a very famous beach, but it's way too crowded in summer. I've seen many Westerners who find this place gross in summer. It'll be half trash, half people. You can barely see water. Though, I think it will be worth visiting there at least once. Around this area, in summer, you can see people wearing bikini at McDonald's

If a non-Korean speaker, make sure you keep a hotel business card with you for taxi drivers. Don't assume you'll get assistance with english - anywhere.

The Hwanseongul (limestone cave) is beautiful. However, the frequency of bus from Samcheok intercity bus terminal to the cave is very low. Taking a bus to this destination isn't a problem but it is best to confirm with the driver that there will be a bus at the scheduled time that will pick you up at the cave to return to the intercity bus terminal. The following is my experience (from my travel journal): This is really a frightening and heart-warming experience. Gosh... I was too late to take the very 1st bus (6.25am) from the Seoul express bus terminal. Thus, by the time I reached the express bus terminal, I could only take the 9.15am bus to Samcheok. This bus ride was 4hr long but it's really comfortable. Anyway, when I finally reached Samcheok at 1.15pm and found the tourist information center to get myself oriented for the cave trip, I was disheartened after looking at the bus schedule to the cave. I've to wait until 2pm for the bus to depart for the cave and the entrance of the cave was closing at 4pm. Still, I thank God that He made me overslept and resulted in me taking the 9.15am express bus from Seoul. Imagine if i were to reach any time earlier, I would have to wait for the same 2pm bus to get me to the cave. (See... there's a break between 10.20am to 2pm where ther's no bus service to the cave!) The frequency of the bus service to the cave is really terrible for a backpacker. I started my 1 hour long journey to the cave from the Samcheok intercity bus terminal at 2pm. I managed to explore the cave in an hour. The tour guide here speaks only korean so I just followed the group and amuse myself in the cave, admiring the wonderful sights. (The entrance fee includes the guide.) The frightening experience starts here when there wasn't going to be any bus service from the cave to the bus terminal....which means that I'm going to be stuck here in the wilderness! Looking at the bus schedule again, it shows clearly that there's going to be a bus at 6pm...but somehow....I had this gut feeling that there won't be any bus coming though the time then was only 5pm. Tour buses and private cars are leaving one after another. By 5.10pm, I told myself that I can't sit at the bus stop any longer to wait for the transport (which I'm pretty sure that it might not come) (trust a female's instinct!). I braved my way to approach one of the 2 tour buses that's left at the parking area. I 'told' the driver (gesticulate...cos I can't speak Korean except for 'Thank you', and some greetings) my situation and viola!!!! he assured me that he would take me with his other passengers and drop me off at the bus terminal... This is so heart-warming cos the Koreans are a helpful bunch to foreigners (not just this ). He also told me that there wouldn't be any bus service at that hour. I'm so glad that he was so kind to take me in ...or esle...I would have been stranded at the mountain...helpless.

One of the important lessons that I learned in Seoul, which was really a carry-over from a lesson that I learned in Russia, is that Americans (including myself) are not always right! In Korea, when walking on the street or anywhere, it is the custom to pass on the left and not the right. I understand that this may be leftover from when Japan took over the country. In any case, I found myself nearly colliding with a number of folks, even though the sidewalk was wide open! Luckily, I was able to step back, see what I was doing, and decide that as a guest of Korea, it would not be amiss for me to be more flexible. This made my visit to Seoul a lot more enjoyable.

It's expensive in Seoul so don't be an impulsive spender.Don't worry about punctuality in Seoul. The Koreans are punctual.Enjoy Korean cuisine.

Bring a Korean Survival Dictionary.The locals are welcoming.The vegetarian dishes in Kwangju are great.Enjoy the cool breeze in Kwangju in May.

Seaoul may be prettiest in the spring, when the cherry blossoms are coming out; but if you are prone to allergies or asthmatic, the pollens along with the auto exhaust and ubiquitous cigarette smoke, can make breathing a very noticeable experience.

Lots of beaches... there's a black sand beach that apparently is good for your girl parts... but the beach itself is not great. The sand isn't even black, just a dark brown. There are other smaller beaches, all of which are nothing more than mediocre. Check out the islands though. Sado Island has a shrine to Poseidon, that's cool!

Jimjilbang is sort of a sauna in Korea. Its contains many bathes (very cold to very hot), relaxing chambers, ... and the best is: you can stay as long as you want :-)